Pens-Islanders In-Game Blog

Track all the action from Pittsburgh's showdown with the New York Islanders with our live in-game blog. Check back for stat updates, injury reports and other information.

0:00: The Penguins ride a six-point night from Sidney Crosby, an Evgeni Malkin hat trick and four power-play goals to a 6-4 victory over the New York Islanders at Mellon Arena. Brent Johnson makes 31 saves in goal to pick up his sixth win of the season. The Penguins will next be in action on Thursday night when they host Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals for a 7:30 p.m. faceoff.

0:30: Here come the hats as Evgeni Malkin records his fifth career hat trick by taking a blocked shot and throws the puck into an empty cage from center ice to give the Penguins a two-goal lead. Penguins 6, Islanders 4.

1:20: The Islanders use their timeout.

2:25: Both Crosby and Malkin are looking for hat tricks here on this power play.

2:55: There has been too much of this lately in hockey - players knocked out due to senseless acts. Andy Sutton drills Pascal Dupuis into the boards behind the Islanders net and Dupuis is laying prone on the ice and bleeding. Trainers from both sides are on the ice. Luckily, Dupuis is able to stand up and get off the ice. The crowd gives him a well-deserved ovation. Sutton gets a major penalty for boarding and is tossed from the contest.

3:41: Johnson makes a stick save on Okposo, who has been shooting from everywhere tonight and has been great for New York.

6:24: Cooke is back on the ice and the Penguins dodge that bullet.

7:01: Crosby and Staal almost single-handidly kill off the first 90 seconds of the New York power play.

8:24: A tripping penalty assessed to Cooke puts the Islanders in position to draw even once again.

8:51: Another gorgeous power-play goal by the Penguins gives them the lead right back. Crosby leads the rush into the zone and drops a pass to Goligoski at the left point. Goligoski skates the puck down the middle of the Islanders box and feeds Malkin for a one-time in the right circle. Malkin's shot beats Roloson through the legs. Crosby picks up his fifth point on the play. Penguins 5, Islanders 4.

9:15: During the TV timeout fans were treated to the Don Farr Moving and Storage Moves of the Game:

9:15: Pittsburgh gets a chance to get their lead back thanks to a tripping penalty against Okposo.

12:49: Head coach Dan Bylsma said this morning that the Islanders are a persistent bunch and they have proved it here in the third period as former Penguin Richard Park guided the rebound of a Weight shot which had hit off the goal post behind Johnson to knot the score. Penguins 4, Islanders 4.

13:50: Enjoy some highlights of previous meetings between the Penguins and Islanders:

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14:56: Seconds after he hold a puck in at the left point Orpik flattens Okposo to the ice, much to the delight of the crowd.

17:06: Just a reminder, Maxime Talbot will not return this game.

19:12: Pittsburgh turns the puck over in the slot and Penguins killer Trent Hunter picks it up and slaps a shot between the legs of Johnson to get the Islanders within one. Penguins 4, Islanders 3.

20:00: The Penguins look to close out this 4-2 lead they have over the Islanders heading into the final period.

THIRD PERIOD

SECOND PERIOD NOTES:- Kris Letang leads the Penguins with four shots.
- Jordan Staal continues to dominate on the draw with a 10-4 record.
- Bill Guerin and Craig Adams each have three hits.

0:00: The Penguins will take a 4-2 lead into the final period, although the Islanders hold a 20-19 advantage in shots.

0:13: Okposo has to wonder what he needs to do to get a shot past Johnson. Set up on the doorstep by Tavares, the Islanders sniper is robbed by another pad save.
1:13: Crosby's one-timer from the near circle barely missed beating Roloson along the ice to the far corner.

3:20: Talbot will not return with an undisclosed injury.

4:24: Crosby picked up an errant pass at the top of the New York zone but his shot was stopped as the crowd can sense another magical night from the Penguins captain.

6:33: New York comes right back down the other end of the ice and answers the Crosby goal. Meyer moved in and one-timed a Blake Comeau pass over Johnson's glove. Penguins 4, Islanders 2.

6:57: Boy does Crosby just have a knack for reading the play. Letang skated the puck down the left side towards the goal line and threw the puck towards the net. The puck went off the stick of Pascal Dupuis and Crosby was there to toss the rebound over Roloson's glove. Penguins 4, Islanders 1.

Brooks Orpik is back in the lineup after missing four games.
8:15: Defensive-minded defender Andy Sutton cuts into the Penguins lead by unloading a heavy slap shot from the top of the left circle which beats Johnson over the glove. Penguins 3, Islanders 1.

8:36: Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik returned to the ice today after missing the past four games with an undisclosed injury. He talked this morning about getting back into the lineup:

9:49: McKee is back on the ice and the Penguins kill the penalty.

10:45: Fans are not happy as Roloson tripped Maxime Talbot in front of everybody after making a save on the Penguins forward and somehow no penalty was called on the play. It was a pretty blatant trip.

Brent Johnson has stopped all 11 shots on the night while John Curry, right, is serving as his backup tonight.
11:49: You knew this was coming - the Penguins are the ones heading to the penalty box. McKee got caught tripping in front of the cage as he upended Jon Sim.

12:59: And the Penguins continue to burn the Islanders for taking those penalties. A beautiful goal to stretch the lead as Goligoski moved the puck to Gonchar at the right point. Gonchar hit Crosby in the slot and he found Guerin for a one-timer on the left side. Penguins 3, Islanders 0.

13:20: New York continues to kill themselves with minor penalties. Mark Streit heads off for cross-checking.

13:56: Tonight's Nemacolin Woodland's Big Five focuses on the top-fvie plays of the year:

14:37: New York kills off the second minor penalty and both teams have five skaters.

15:24: Okposo once again finds himself on a breakaway while the Islanders are down a man. He is hooked by Goligoski and is awarded a penalty shot. On the penalty shot Johnson stacks both pads against the two posts and keeps the puck out of the cage with a left-pad save as Okposo tried a move to the forehand where he tucked the rubber inside the post.

16:20: Malkin makes the Islanders pay by walking into a pass from Sergei Gonchar and blasting a shot over the glove of Roloson. Gonchar and Crosby get the assists. Penguins 2, Islanders 0.

16:38: The Penguins are on a two-man advantage thanks to a too many men on the ice penalty against the Islanders.

16:45: What a pad save by Brent Johnon on Kyle Okposo!!! Johnson dove to the ice and just got a piece of the shot with his pad.

17:57: It's back to the power play for the Penguins with Trent Hunter in the sin bin for holding.

19:04: Eaton is an offensive machine for the Penguins. His wrist shot from the right point got under Roloson and clanked off the goal post to his right.

20:00: The Penguins look to build upon their 1-0 lead.

SECOND PERIOD

Islanders star John Tavares, left, makes his debut at Mellon Arena. These girls on the right aren't among his fans, though.
FIRST PERIOD NOTES:- The Penguins outhit the Islanders, 10-5.
- Pittsburgh held an 11-5 advantage on faceoffs, led by Jordan Staal's 5-0.
- Tyler Kennedy (2) was the only Penguins to register more than one shot.

0:00: The Penguins come back home from their long road swing and they play a great opening period, leading the Islanders, 1-0, and outshooting them, 9-7.

1:23: Mark Eaton's point shot hits off traffic in the slot and finds the tape of Sidney Crosby, who throws the biscuit into the open cage for the opening goal. Assists got to Eaton and Guerin. Penguins 1, Islanders 0.

3:49: Weight trips Cooke at the top of the New York zone but no penalty is called on the play. The fans naturally were not happy.

6:39: Coincidental minors are assessed after the play to Letang and Meyer for roughing. We have four-on-four action.
6:46: Roloson makes his best save of the opening period by sliding across his crease from right to left to stone Tyler Kennedy's shot from the slot.

9:17: Another monumental day at the Consol Energy Center as the concrete was poured where the ice will be sitting next season:

9:17: Jack Hillen steps up on Mike Rupp and lays a knee into the Penguins forward. Rupp and his teammates take exception after the whistle.

10:36: Tavares shows his vision skills by setting up Kyle Okposo in the slot. Johnson is there to make the save with his pads.

11:59: Malkin is back on the ice and both teams have five skaters a side.

13:10: Johnson just robbed a Tavares shot ticketed for the upper corner seconds after Jay McKee stepped in front of an Islanders shot with Johnson down.

13:59: The Penguins will collect money prior to Thursday's game to benefit the earthquake victims in Haiti:

13:59: After the commercial break it will be the Islanders with their first power play after a hooking call to Evgeni Malkin.

14:59: Pittsburgh is unable to capitalize on the Roloson infraction as Weight, who was serving the penalty, steps onto the ice.

15:36: Staal is picking up right where he left off on the road trip. Taking a pass in the neutral zone he sprints down the left side of the Islanders zone and gets a good wrist shot off on Roloson, who makes the save.
16:59: The referees assess a delay of game penalty to Roloson after he jumps on a loose puck 12 feet outside his crease and doesn't play it.Doug Weight is serving the penalty.

17:48: Johnson's into the game as he uses his catching glove to make a save on Freddy Meyer.

19:04: Dwayne Roloson juggles a point shot from Kris Letang but he does hold on as the Staal line dominates the opening shift of the game.
20:00: The New York Islanders are making their season debut at Mellon Arena.

7:32 PM: Brent Johnson has come off the injured reserve list and will make the start in goal for the Penguins. Johnson has missed the previous five games with an undisclosed injury. Martin Skoula and Marc-Andre Fleury are the Penguins scratches while Rick DiPietro, Jeff Tambellini and Nate Thompson are out for New York.

7:30 PM: The Pittsburgh Penguins return home following a highly successful five-game, nine-day road swing which saw the team go 3-2 through Toronto, Minnesota, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Standing in their way - a red-hot New York Islanders squad which has posted a 9-2-1 record over their previous 12 games, including a current four-game winning streak. Tonight marks the first time Mellon Arena has seen rookie sensation John Tavares up-close.